Department

Circulation, Administration, Technical Services, Interlibrary Loan, and University Student Accounts Office

Purpose

To move student long-term overdues (LTOs) from their library accounts to their student billing accounts. This aligns with other departmental practices on campus.

Overview

Library Circulation's and Interlibrary Loan's procedures for moving student LTOs from their library accounts to student billing accounts. 

Required Knowledge/Skills

n/a

Safety Issues/Precautions

n/a

Equipment/Supplies

n/a

Procedure

Circulation Procedure

1. Twice a year (generally in December and May on the last day of finals) the Circulation department generates a list of student items that have been billed.  
2. Sierra uses default amounts, so Circulation sends this list to the library’s Acquisitions staff member to determine replacement costs (including $15 processing fees).  Acquisitions sends the updated list with correct costs back to the Circulation department.
3. Circulation sends the spreadsheet to student.accounts@valpo.edu. The Student Accounts Office requests the list be an excel spreadsheet with the first name, last name, ID, the charge amount, and term. 
4. If a student comes to the library to return an item that has been billed to their student account, accept the item, and then notify the Student Accounts Office (student.accounts@valpo.edu) via a reversal on the spreadsheet with a credit amount.
5. The Library Admin office will run monthly reports of payments received from student accounts.  The Admin office will notify Circ of these payments so that Circ can mark those items lost and paid in Sierra.
6. During the next processing period (December or May), items that were sent to Student Accounts the previous period (six months prior) will be withdrawn from the catalog.  Circulation will remove any items that were returned (see #4) from the spreadsheet and then send that updated title list to Technical Services for withdrawal. Technical Services will keep a list of these withdrawn items for the LTO replacement process.  (Circulation will still need to generate lists of LTOs for non-students.)
7. When the list of items is sent to TS for withdrawal, Circulation will use the “Christopher Center Long-Term Overdue” email template in the library@valpo.edu account to notify students that the items have been withdrawn and now belong to them.
8. Once an item is withdrawn from the catalog, it goes through the LTO replacement evaluation process (managed by Technical Services and Administration).

With this process in place, Circulation will no longer need to send transcript blocks for billed items.  The Student Accounts office will manage that process.  Circulation can still send transcript blocks for seniors who have items out that have not been billed.

Interlibrary Loan Procedure

1. When a lending library bills us for lost/ damaged materials that were checked out to students, the Interlibrary Loan Manager (ILLM) requests a check from the Library’s Admin Office.
2. At this time, the ILLM sends the charge via a spreadsheet to student.accounts@valpo.edu. The Student Accounts Office requests the list be an excel spreadsheet with the first name, last name, ID, the charge amount, and term. 
3. If a student comes to the library to return an item that has been billed to their student account, contact the lending library and verify that they will still accept the item instead of payment, and if so, notify the Student Accounts Office (student.accounts@valpo.edu) via a reversal on the spreadsheet with a credit amount.
4. The Library Admin office will run monthly reports of payments received from student accounts.  The Admin office will notify ILL of payments so that ILL can unblock patrons’ ILLiad account.  If a patron is a repeat offender or has not been responsive throughout the process, the department reserves the right to keep a block on the account.

Procedure Regarding Student Patron Actions (Circ & ILL)

• CCLIR and ILL items: If a student comes to the library to pay the item fee on their student account, refer them online (their Student Account Center) or to the cashier at Kretzmann Hall.  
• CCLIR items: If a student comes to the library to return an item that has been billed to their student account but not yet withdrawn from the collection, accept the item.
• CCLIR items: If a student tries to return an item after it has been withdrawn from the collection, they may keep it; they’ve paid for it.
• ILL items: If a student comes to the library to return an item that has been billed to their student account, take the item from the student and give it to the ILL department.  Let the student know that until we receive word from the lending library, we will not know whether we can accept the item in lieu of payment.  If the lending library will only accept payment, we will notify the student and return the item to them.